LITMIR.BIZ

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my efforts help them feel beautiful.”

      “An artist,” he murmured, finding himself just enjoying the sound of her voice.

      “Artist?” She looked delighted with his description. “I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler. I was the only child in my school’s history to flunk fingerpainting. Although, unlike my brothers, I didn’t stick the paintbrush in my mouth. Mark, my older brother, had a purple tongue for a month.” She stopped speaking and wrinkled her nose. “I’m talking too much, aren’t I? It’s a problem I have. Probably comes from growing up in a large family. If you don’t speak up, you don’t get heard.”

      As their dinner was placed in front of them, Ginna dug enthusiastically into her mahi mahi.

      “No, I like your candor,” he told her. “I have to admit I haven’t been out with a woman in a while, but I don’t remember enjoying a conversation so much.”

      “What do you usually talk about with women?”

      Whether Emma should take dance classes or tae kwon do with her brother. The subject of my next column on single fathers. Listening to a woman stockbroker tell me what I need in my portfolio.

      “Stocks, bonds, whether I have enough life insurance,” he admitted. “I know it’s not manly—” he twitched his fingers to indicate quotes “—to admit I haven’t dated much, but I was never much for intimating I’m a party animal when I’m not.”

      “No, you’re obviously a man secure with yourself. I have a male client who thinks he’s Stud of the Year and feels he has to prove it. Luckily for him, he’s all talk. He tried propositioning me once. I then explained what my sharp scissors could do to his precious hair. He’s behaved since then.”

      “I would, too.” He chuckled. “So tell me what it was like growing up in such a large family.”

      “Chaotic. Noisy. Wild. My dad restores vintage automobiles. He has his garage on the property. All of us can change our own oil, change a flat tire, even replace all the hoses. Except for my brother Brian. He’s a total klutz with a car. Now he uses the excuse that he saves his hands for better things. He’s a paramedic, as is my brother Mark. My brother Jeff is a fireman, and my sister, Nikki, is in her junior year of college and talking about going on to medical school. Brian and Jeff are married. Brian has an adorable baby daughter, and Jeff has twin girls and a baby boy.”

      “I have—” He clamped his mouth shut as Lucie’s words slammed their way into his brain. There’s nothing wrong if you take some time away from being Emma and Trey’s dad. He grinned sheepishly. “Twins run in my family. I’m surprised none of your siblings are twins.”

      “My mother is a twin,” Ginna replied. “When we were little, none of us could tell Mom and Aunt Peggy apart. Mom said she was glad none of us were twins. One of each of us was more than enough for her. What about you and your sister?” she asked, turning the tables. “Did you two give your mother any trouble during your rebellious years?”

      “Nothing that sent her into hysterics,” he admitted. “We’re three years apart. At one point in our lives, we seemed a generation apart.”

      “High school, right?” she asked. “When my brothers were juniors and seniors and I was a freshman, the way they treated me, I might as well have still been in grade school.”

      “We survived, and some days we figured that was enough,” Zach replied.

      “That was us. We never allowed anyone to pick on any of us. We did it well enough on our own.”

      Zach chuckled. “We did that pretty well, too. Still do.”

      Ginna found herself enjoying both her dinner and the company immensely. They ignored time as they talked their way through dessert. Afterward, Zach suggested a walk along the beach, and she accepted his invitation.

      Once they reached the sand, she placed her hand on his shoulder to keep her balance as she slipped off her sandals and he took off his own shoes. She carried them in one hand as they headed across the still-warm sand. A gentle breeze with the tang of salt caressed their faces. Music from the bar drifted toward them.

      “It’s so beautiful here,” Ginna declared, lifting her face to the breeze. “It’s as if your body understands the need to slow down and it does exactly that. No rushing around. No feeling the need to be at a certain place at a certain time.” She stopped and turned to face the hotel, then faced him as she held out her arms. “Come on, Zach Stone, dance with me.”

      He laughed uneasily. “Uh, dancing’s not exactly my strong suit.”

      She moved toward him until her breasts lightly touched his chest. She picked up one of his arms and placed his hand on her shoulder. The other hand she took in hers.

      “Then we’ll just move to the music,” she murmured. “You can do that, can’t you? You don’t think about what you’re doing. You just let the music take hold of your soul and your feet will follow.”

      “All right, but don’t blame me if I step on your feet,” he warned.

      “See, you can do it,” she teased a few minutes later.

      Ginna hadn’t believed in attraction at first sight until now. The minute she met Zach, she felt as if she’d met him before. As if there was some connection….

      All points considered, she should be thanking Denny, that lower-than-scum subhuman for cleaning out her account. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have gotten back not only the money he took but damages, which let her take the vacation of her life.

      Who knows, maybe she’d send him a postcard.

      She had no idea how long she and Zach remained on the beach dancing. They didn’t stop until the music stopped. Their steps slowed and halted.

      She suddenly yawned.

      “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I guess everything caught up with me.”

      “I’ll walk you to your room,” he offered.

      Ginna could feel the sensual pull as they crossed the lobby and entered the elevator.

      They didn’t speak a word as they reached her floor. Zach walked beside her down the hallway until she stopped at a door.

      “Here we are,” she said, then silently cursed herself for sounding so inane. She dug her key card out of her bag and inserted it in the slot. When the light turned green, indicating the lock had been released, she reached for the doorknob, but Zach’s hand covered it first. He turned it and pushed the door open. She smiled. “Thank you for dinner.”

      “How about tomorrow?” he asked.

      She wanted to say yes so badly she could taste it. At the same time, she was afraid to appear overly eager.

      Dating etiquette was so difficult at times!

      She decided it was time to throw the rulebook out the window.

      “I’ll be on the beach in the morning,” she said, taking a middle-of-the-road answer.

      He smiled back. “Good night, Ginna.”

      She was aware he waited until she was inside.

      “Don’t forget the inside bolt.” His low voice reached her ears.

      She shot it home, hearing a satisfying click. She strained her ears, but there was no chance of her hearing him leave. If it hadn’t been the sensation that the air pressure around her fell, she wouldn’t have known.

      She dropped her sandals into a chair, followed by her purse. She made quick work of undressing and slipping on a cotton nightgown.

      It wasn’t until the lights were off and she was under the covers that she allowed herself a moment to reflect on her evening.

      Her wide smile as she fell asleep was proof enough that her date had been more than a success.

      ZACH’S

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